Half Nelson (2006)

Director: Ryan Fleck
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Shareeka Epps, Jeff Lima, Nathan Corbett

This 2006 flick takes a refreshing approach to the "white teacher in an inner-city school" story. Ryan Gosling plays a history teacher and girl's basketball coach dealing with a few problems, mainly that he's an addict.

After his habit is discovered by one of his students, Drey (Epps), the teach bonds with this student—but with increasingly complicated implications.